By Joseph A. Slobodzian
The Philadelphia Inquirer
PHILADELPHIA — John “Jordan” Lewis, the baby-faced North Philadelphia man whose string of six armed robberies ended with the Halloween 2007 slaying of Police Officer Chuck Cassidy, was found guilty of first-degree murder yesterday by a Philadelphia jury.
The 12 jurors deliberated about 21/4 hours before returning their decision shortly after 4 p.m. The forewoman - the first juror selected Nov. 4 - announced the verdict in a loud, strong voice without hesitation.
The standing-room-only courtroom crowd had been warned not to visibly react, and the room was silent except for the congratulatory sound of hands slapping shoulders.
The jury will return to the Criminal Justice Center this morning to begin hearing evidence about whether Lewis, 23, should be put to death by injection or spend his life in prison with no chance of parole.
The jury will hear evidence of aggravating factors in the murder of Cassidy, 54, that justify a death sentence, and mitigating factors in Lewis’ character or background that warrant a life term.
If the jury cannot reach a decision, Lewis will get life in prison.
Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey P. Minehart yesterday reiterated his gag order on the lawyers and principals in the case.
Defense attorney Michael Coard, who tried to persuade the jury to convict Lewis of second-degree murder - a killing during another felony - said he could not comment on his plans for the penalty phase or whether Lewis would testify.
Lewis did not testify during the main part of the trial, and Coard presented no evidence. Instead, Coard argued that the shooting of Cassidy when he walked in on Lewis’ robbery of a North Philadelphia doughnut shop was clearly second-degree murder. Second-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence.
Lewis, a pudgy 6-footer in oversize black-frame glasses, seemed to show no emotion at the verdict, in contrast to his teary apology called out to Cassidy’s widow Wednesday while she was testifying as the last prosecution witness.
As he was led from court, Lewis turned and gave a half-smile and wave to his mother and other relatives seated in the courtroom.
“I love you, John, no matter what they say,” called one woman in the group.
Judy Cassidy and her three children exited court between a double line of blue uniforms, hugging people as she went.
“What a horrible situation,” she said to one well-wisher before disappearing with her family into an anteroom.
Outside on Filbert Street, Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey told reporters that “the jury made the right decision. I’m pleased with the verdict, but unfortunately it doesn’t bring Chuck Cassidy back.”
Asked if he hoped for a death sentence for Lewis, Ramsey declined to comment, saying he did not want to risk affecting the jury.
“But I won’t be sending any flowers to him,” Ramsey added.
John McNesby, president of Lodge 5 of the Fraternal Order of Police, the union representing city police officers, said the city’s 6,600 police officers had had a “really tough road” the last few years.
McNesby referred to the five officers killed in the line of duty since Cassidy’s murder. Relatives of those five officers have regularly attended the trial to support the Cassidys and were present for the verdict.
“The community support has been great, and there has been great all-around support for the Cassidys by all the other families,” McNesby said.
As for the future, he said, “We go where the Cassidy family points us. Whatever they need, they get.”
The jury’s relatively brief deliberations were preordained by Lewis, who made the surprise decision to plead guilty on the first day of the trial to a general count of murder, six armed robberies, and gun charges.
The defense gambit shortened a trial that was expected to last three weeks and would have forced prosecutors to prove every element of every crime resulting from Lewis’ spate of robberies in the fall of 2007.
While his admission of guilt and its shortening of the trial had the potential of earning Lewis some good will among jurors, the strategy also focused attention directly on whether Lewis should be killed by the state or put in prison for life.
Coard said he expected the jury to begin deliberations today.
The jury came back with only one request after it began its review: a second viewing of the graphic, multicamera color security video taken Oct. 31, 2007, at the Dunkin’ Donuts at 6620 N. Broad St. in West Oak Lane.
Minutes later, the jury said it had a verdict.
The video shows Lewis, gun drawn, with customers and employees around him. In the background, Cassidy arrives in his patrol wagon and walks to the door.
In the next two seconds, the video shows Lewis turn to spot Cassidy, take two steps, raise his 9mm pistol, and shoot the 25-year veteran officer once in the forehead.
Lewis runs to the door, bends down to take Cassidy’s service weapon, and runs away.
In his closing argument, Coard urged the jurors to put aside sympathy for Cassidy and his family and to pay attention to the judge’s instructions about the difference between first- and second-degree murder.
Coard said 99 percent of the prosecution’s evidence was to evoke sympathy and emotion. “The only issue in this case is whether it is first-degree or second-degree.”
He argued that the crucial two seconds of the video showed that Lewis was clearly a panicky gunman reacting in surprise to the officer’s sudden appearance.
But Assistant District Attorney Edward Cameron told the jurors the law allowed them to infer malice and intent - key elements of first-degree murder - from Lewis’ actions.
Cameron said the two seconds in which Lewis turns, takes two steps, and fires from a distance of three feet was more time than it takes a major-league baseball player to decide whether to swing at a fastball.
Cameron told the jurors to live up to their oaths as Cassidy did his and find Lewis guilty of first-degree murder.
“He stood up to this man,” Cameron said, pointing to Lewis, “and we’re asking you to do the same thing.”
Copyright 2009 Philadelphia Newspapers, LLC